Published 10:00 pm, Friday, May 27, 2005

BELLEVUE -- Before her violent death on a trail near her home, Cassandra Oliphant was raising four daughters on her own.

But her struggle with poverty didn't stop her from opening her home -- and her heart -- to those more in need than herself, those who knew her said yesterday.

Oliphant, who police say was killed Monday in a random attack by a 29-year-old stranger, would "give you the shirt off her back" if she saw the need, said her longtime friend and neighbor Denise Hezel.

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Known as "Cass," the tall redhead would translate for Spanish-speaking immigrants at her daughters' elementary school and at the public housing complex where she lived. She volunteered with the food-bank truck that made weekly visits to the complex, called Hidden Village, and before her van was repossessed last fall, she often drove families to food banks around Bellevue, Hezel said.

Now, Spiritridge Elementary School staff and parents, and others in the community, are trying to give back a little of that help.

Children at Spiritridge, including classmates of Oliphant's daughters in the second grade and kindergarten, sent cards and letters to comfort the girls.

One card, decorated with a pink flower and green grass cut from construction paper, said, "Have faith, not fear, because she is in a better place." Another said, "You don't know me, but everyone cares."

Office manager Linda Porter and teacher Alice Humphres helped set up the "Friends of Oliphant Family" fund to respond to all the people asking what they can do. Donations can be made at any Bank of America branch, Porter said.

On Tuesday, a day when schoolchildren talked about the death in class and were offered counseling, staff from both Spiritridge and Tillicum Middle School went to Hidden Village to give extra support to the many children living there, said Spiritridge Principal Abby Adams.

One problem for Spiritridge kids is "just the fears ... that this could happen to any mom," Adams said, adding that discussions in school included the fact that the suspect in the killing is in custody.

Those who know Oliphant's children are heartened that they can live with their grandmother but sad that it means they will move to Florida.

In addition to the two girls at Spiritridge, Oliphant had an older daughter at Tillicum and a younger one, age 4, Hezel said. Oliphant was in the early stages of pregnancy.

The loss has hit some people especially hard.

According to Hezel, when Oliphant learned that some children new to Hidden Village were not attending school, she helped enroll them and even took the immigrant family into her apartment to make sure the kids got to school each day.

Yesterday, that family went to Spiritridge to get transfer papers to move to California. Without Oliphant's support to finish the school year, they decided to leave Bellevue earlier than planned, Adams said.